Body Size And Habitat Shading Influence The Consumptive And Non-Consumptive Effects Of Wood Frog (lithobates Sylvaticus) Tadpoles On Aquatic Invertebrate Communities

<p>Consumptive (direct) effects of predation have been well-studied in most aquatic systems, but non-consumptive (indirect) effects on prey have only recently received limited attention in some groups. As aquatic consumers, tadpoles have traditionally been considered strict herbivores, leaving their predatory impacts via consumptive and non-consumptive interactions on aquatic invertebrates largely unexplored. The objectives of this study were to quantify omnivory among wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles, determine their consumptive and non-consumptive effects on invertebrate communities, and investigate whether such effects are mediated by habitat shading and tadpole body size. Lithobates sylvaticus tadpoles and egg masses were randomly sampled from 11 ponds in the Daniel Boone National Forest, eastern Kentucky, USA. Tadpoles were dissected to quantify the frequency of omnivory, while egg masses were reared to hatching to create size structure. Hatched tadpoles were then employed in a fully factorial mesocosm design that manipulated tadpole presence (absent, caged, or free-swimming), body size (large or small), and canopy cover (shaded or unshaded) to determine effects on invertebrate communities. Over 70% of tadpoles in natural ponds engaged in omnivory, primarily on zooplankton. Tadpoles in mesocosms exhibited consumptive and non-consumptive effects on invertebrate communities, with generally reduced invertebrate abundance under shaded conditions and in the presence of larger tadpoles. Larger tadpoles in unshaded conditions also exhibited higher survival and maintained larger sizes, but smaller tadpoles in unshaded conditions grew more quickly. This study stresses the ecological importance of tadpoles, given their roles as predators of, and competitors with, aquatic invertebrates. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Eastern Kentucky University

Year

2022

Author dc:creator

• Parlato, Brady Patrick

• Body size
• Consumptive effects
• Habitat shading
• Non-consumptive effects
• Tadpole
• Trophic ecology
• Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Brady Patrick Parlato

Repository record dc:identifier

https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/748

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1746